Navigation Links
Researchers use 3-D imaging system to unveil swimming behavior of microscopic plankton

body-lengths per second.

"Clumped distribution, termed 'patchiness,' is one of the most ubiquitous characteristics of oceanic zooplankton," said Genin, lead author of the Science paper. "Aggregations are found on all scales, from millimeters to hundreds of kilometers. Understanding the mechanisms that produce zooplankton patchiness is a central objective in biological oceanography."

Countless numbers of the minute, nearly transparent zooplankton are found under the surface of each square meter of the world's oceans. These animals play a key role in the marine food web as a crucial link between primary producers and predators.

The imaging system, Fish TV, uses multibeam sonar to uniquely measure animal movement. The system allowed the researchers to analyze the swimming behavior of more than 375,000 individual zooplankton swimming against vertical currents. Swimming against vertical currents allows the plankton to keep their depth, a behavior which was postulated long ago but had never been measured in the ocean until now.

The results were captured during three experiments lasting several weeks at two sites in the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba, near the coral reef of Eilat in Israel and at Ras Burka on the coast of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. At the sites scuba divers attached Fish TV's sonar head ("transducer") on a large underwater tripod raised some 20 feet above the seafloor. The transducer was cabled to a control and data-acquisition unit consisting of a computer and other electronic hardware.

Fish TV's transmitters sent out 1.6 megahertz "pings" that bounced off the zooplankton and returned data to the instrument's receivers. It's a system not unlike those used in ultrasound procedures for biomedical applications.

"One of the most amazing aspects of this research is that we were able to see 375,000 of these animals, many as small as one millimeter in length," said Jaffe, a research oceanographer in the Marine Physical Labo
'"/>

Source:University of California - San Diego


Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Researchers discover way to make cells in the eye sensitive to light
2. Researchers find how protein allows insects to detect and respond to pheromones
3. Researchers Uncover Key Step In Manufacture of Memory Protein
4. Researchers reveal the infectious impact of salmon farms on wild salmon
5. Researchers identify target for cancer drugs
6. Researchers discover molecule that causes secondary stroke
7. Researchers find missing genes of ancient organism
8. Researchers trace evolution to relatively simple genetic changes
9. Researchers add new tool to tumor-treatment arsenal
10. UF Researchers Map Bacterial Proteins That Cause Tooth Loss
11. VCU Researchers Identify Networks Of Genes Responding To Alcohol In The Brain

Post Your Comments:
(Date:11/30/2009)... inaugural Global Conference on Systems & Enterpri...ington, DC, focuses on the convergence of complex ...portance to society. , The goal of the confe... around targeted complex systems, examined by doma...des Critical Infrastructure Systems, including Int...
(Date:11/30/2009)...the stress of seeing your extended family over the...search report in the December 2009 print issue of ...eukbio.org ) shows that you might be right. Here,s...lead to entirely new treatments that help keep aut... under control. That,s because researchers from th...
(Date:11/26/2009)...ressive antlers, red deer have been caught in the ...ers are much more than decorative. They are lethal...John Currey, from The University of York, UK, has ...e for over half a century and has become fascinate... long-standing collaboration with Tomas Landete-Ca...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):First global conference on systems and enterprises at new Stevens location, Washington, DC, Dec. 3-4 2Seeing family for the holidays? Scientists discover how the stress might kill you 2Tough yet stiff deer antler is materials scientist's dream 2Boo 21 New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Offering Cash for Candy This Halloween 26amp 3B 238211 3B and Giving Back to Our Soldiers Oversees 60169 1Boo 21 New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Offering Cash for Candy This Halloween 26amp 3B 238211 3B and Giving Back to Our Soldiers Oversees 60169 2Boo 21 New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Offering Cash for Candy This Halloween 26amp 3B 238211 3B and Giving Back to Our Soldiers Oversees 60169 33SBio Inc to Report 2009 Third Quarter Earnings on November 12 2009 14616 13SBio Inc to Report 2009 Third Quarter Earnings on November 12 2009 14616 2Adding tools against breast tumors 60167 1
... Premature babies are subject to a host of threats...tudy published in the January 2008 issue of the Am...hers from the University of AlabamaBirmingham Medi...dicine found that genital mycoplasmas are a freque...nates born between 23 and 32 weeks of gestation ha...
... Recent inquiry into variation and evolution of re...d exciting and ground-breaking work within the pla...nal Journal of Plant Sciences, leading botanist Sp... together in a single volume some of the most comp...most growth: flowers and pollination, mating patte...
... CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--MIT researchers have uncovered ...ect birds and humans, a discovery that could help ...ins and aid in the development of vaccines against...hat a virus,s ability to infect humans depends on ...tor on the surface of human respiratory cells. , ...
Other Biology News:Bacterial infections in premature babies more common than previously realized 2A special issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences 2A special issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences 3MIT finds key to avian flu in humans 2MIT finds key to avian flu in humans 3
(Date:12/1/2009)...wswire/ -- Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois (PH...rded two statuettes at the first-ever CLIO Healthc...CLIO Healthcare Awards recognizes creative excelle...ndustry and is an extension of the CLIO Awards, on...ns for advertising, design and interactive. PHII w...
(Date:12/1/2009)...-FirstCall/ -- Palatin Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Am...d Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,62...ts." The claims in the issued patent cover a fami...ptide receptor A (NPRA), including PL-3994, Palati...natriuretic compounds, including PL-3994, address ...
(Date:12/1/2009)...-FirstCall/ -- Medizone International, Inc. (OTC B... involving its proprietary AsepticSure(TM) technol... barriers, this time with two very different spore...llis subtilis. These results clearly establish Ase...hnology. "The implications of a 6.7 log reduction ...
(Date:12/1/2009)... organizations will collaborate in comprehensive t...nologies. Their shared efforts will begin in 2010 ... Dallas, TX (PRWEB) December ... of Understanding, Mercy Ships and MediSend Intern...lop sustainable infrastructure in hospitals in dev...
Breaking Biology Technology:Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois Wins Two CLIO Healthcare Awards 2Palatin Technologies, Inc. Issued U.S. Patent for Heart Failure Drug Candidate 2Palatin Technologies, Inc. Issued U.S. Patent for Heart Failure Drug Candidate 3Medizone International Takes Aim at the Bioterrorism Countermeasures Arena 2Mercy Ships and MediSend International Partner to Deliver Hope and Healing 2Mercy Ships and MediSend International Partner to Deliver Hope and Healing 3
...eMed, Inc.,(Nasdaq: ENMD ) a clinical-stage pharm...treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, tod...ief Executive Officer, will,present a Corporate ov...tech Industry Conference, to be held at the Millen... 2008. Mr. Burns, presentation is scheduled for,Th...
... Senesco,Technologies, Inc. (the "Company") (Amex:...the American Stock Exchange ("AMEX") stating that ...iciencies referenced in the AMEX,s,letters dated J...is based,upon a review of publicly available infor...urities and Exchange Commission filings., Senesco...
...false and misleading information, SOUTH SAN FRANC...xGen,Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VXGN.OB), (Logo...XGENLOGO ), Dear Stockholders, On March 19th, Me...VaxGen, issued a press release entitled "MedCap Ur... biotechnologies". We believe this release, one of...
Other Biology Technology:EntreMed to Present at BioCentury Future Leaders in the Biotech Industry Conference 2Senesco Technologies Regains Compliance With Amex's Continued Listing Requirements 2Senesco Technologies Regains Compliance With Amex's Continued Listing Requirements 3VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 2VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 3VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 4VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 5VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 6VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 7VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 8VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 9VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 10VaxGen Issues Rebuttal to MedCap Letter 11
...staining method for labeling DNA breaks to detect ...s all the key reagents required for measuring apop...ntrol cells for assessing reagent performance; was...individual steps in the assay; terminal deoxynucle...
...lor staining method for labeling DNA breaks and to... cytometry. The kit contains the instructions and ... including: positive and negative control cells fo... and rinsing buffers for processing individual ste...
PROTEAN Plus Overlay Agarose, 125 ml from Bio-Rad
Stirbar, Trans-Blot Plus cell from Bio-Rad
Biology Products: